Delaware Hospice Volunteer Leon Kline reflects on his experiences
PRESS RELEASE: March 15, 2010 for Immediate Release
Leon Kline has been a dedicated volunteer for Delaware Hospice for five years, since caring for a neighbor who had become ill. Leon’s the kind of guy who would care for a sick neighbor. He’s the kind of guy who will sit vigil at the bedside of a dying patient; he’s a guy who will drive 80 miles through a snowstorm on an errand for a family in need; and he bakes like Julia Child and delivers cakes to Delaware Hospice’s Milford office on their luckiest days.
Leon grew up in a little town called Sellersville, about 20 miles from Philadelphia. He met his wife while roller skating. Leon was 12 and she was 11. He said, “We lost contact after school, but while serving in the National Guard with her brother, we were reunited one Thanksgiving Day, and started dating again. They married in 1954, had four children in five years. Leon said, “For a while we lived in a one bedroom apartment with three kids!”
Leon was a “jack of all trades,” and his ventures included farming for many years, and also driving a school bus. But he said, “My greatest passion is roller skating. I’ve always skated, and I still do. Last week I drove four hours to a rink near Harrisburg to skate. It’s worth the trip, because the people who go are friends my age, and we skate to live organ music.”
Leon and his wife retired to Delaware to be near one of their sons who had moved here, which was when he was first exposed to hospice. He said, “I became good friends with a neighbor, who eventually became quite ill. I would go over to make sure he had food and didn’t need anything. Then he was moved to a nursing home in another town, and I felt driven to continue visiting him. I met his nurse and was impressed with the care Delaware Hospice was giving him. When he passed away, I started thinking, ‘I can do this. I like to help out people like this.”
He called and signed up for the next volunteer training. “Their training prepares you pretty well for what you’re going to encounter with patients and families. Of course, you’re always learning new things, like how to deal with Alzheimer’s patients, but the Volunteer Office’s support is great.
Leon grew up in a little town called Sellersville, about 20 miles from Philadelphia. He met his wife while roller skating. Leon was 12 and she was 11. He said, “We lost contact after school, but while serving in the National Guard with her brother, we were reunited one Thanksgiving Day, and started dating again. They married in 1954, had four children in five years. Leon said, “For a while we lived in a one bedroom apartment with three kids!”
Leon was a “jack of all trades,” and his ventures included farming for many years, and also driving a school bus. But he said, “My greatest passion is roller skating. I’ve always skated, and I still do. Last week I drove four hours to a rink near Harrisburg to skate. It’s worth the trip, because the people who go are friends my age, and we skate to live organ music.”
Leon and his wife retired to Delaware to be near one of their sons who had moved here, which was when he was first exposed to hospice. He said, “I became good friends with a neighbor, who eventually became quite ill. I would go over to make sure he had food and didn’t need anything. Then he was moved to a nursing home in another town, and I felt driven to continue visiting him. I met his nurse and was impressed with the care Delaware Hospice was giving him. When he passed away, I started thinking, ‘I can do this. I like to help out people like this.”
He called and signed up for the next volunteer training. “Their training prepares you pretty well for what you’re going to encounter with patients and families. Of course, you’re always learning new things, like how to deal with Alzheimer’s patients, but the Volunteer Office’s support is great.
At first I ran errands, took folks to the hair dresser, picked up medicines, or changed light bulbs in the house—whatever I could do to help. In the beginning, I said that I would not sit vigil; but now I do a lot of this. It’s easy to do and I think it’s really appreciated.”
What they say is true, you get more than you give as a hospice volunteer. It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my life. And whomever you speak to about Delaware Hospice says ‘you can’t find a better organization.’
Leon took some time to recover from his own loss last May when he lost his wife of 55 years. But he stays busy roller skating, and spending time with his two sons and two daughters and their families in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina. And he bakes—“Yesterday I tried a new cake, but it didn’t turn out as I thought, so I’ll do another one this afternoon.”
The Delaware Hospice staff looks forward to Leon’s visits to the office, because he often arrives with chocolate, butter, or Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
Leon took some time to recover from his own loss last May when he lost his wife of 55 years. But he stays busy roller skating, and spending time with his two sons and two daughters and their families in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina. And he bakes—“Yesterday I tried a new cake, but it didn’t turn out as I thought, so I’ll do another one this afternoon.”
The Delaware Hospice staff looks forward to Leon’s visits to the office, because he often arrives with chocolate, butter, or Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
On April 27th, Delaware Hospice will hold its New Volunteer Training for Sussex County in Milford.
As the only not-for-profit hospice in the state, Delaware Hospice relies on its volunteers to help support ongoing programs and services which meet the needs of patients and families in the community. Anyone who signs up goes through a comprehensive orientation and then chooses a volunteer role that suits his or her own interests and abilities. Many individuals help organize fundraisers which are held throughout the year. Others run errands or provide transportation for patients. Delaware Hospice’s offices are supported through volunteers donating time to perform clerical duties. Family members are forever grateful for those who are willing to sit with a patient to give the caregiver a break. For more information, call Mary Costello, Volunteer Coordinator for Sussex County, at 302-856-7717, or visit www.delawarehospice.org to sign up. As Leon Kline said, “You get back more than you give,” as a Delaware Hospice volunteer.
About Delaware Hospice
Since 1982, Delaware Hospice has provided exceptional care and support to nearly 35,000 patients and their families. Its mission is to help each patient, each day, live the fullest, most comfortable life possible. Delaware Hospice is the largest and only licensed, nonprofit, community-based hospice serving New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware and southern Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. For more information about Delaware Hospice’s programs and services, upcoming events, or employment opportunities, call 800-838-9800 or visit our website, www.delawarehospice.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Beverly Crowl, Public Relations Specialist
302-547-1816 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Twitter: @PR4DEHOSPICE
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DelawareHospice
Beverly Crowl, Public Relations Specialist
302-547-1816 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Twitter: @PR4DEHOSPICE
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DelawareHospice
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Delaware Hospice is accredited by The Joint Commission.